Article carrier

ABSTRACT

A basket-style article arrier having a bottom wall, side walls foldably joined along their bottom edges to opposite side edges of the bottom wall, end walls foldably joined to the end edges of the side walls, riser panels foldably joined to the end walls medially thereof, a handle panel secured at its ends to the upper portions of the riser panels, and partition structure interconnected between the handle and the side walls is provided with stabilizing structure for insuring that the carrier is squarely set up to facilitate loading, such structure including a fold line which is bifurcated at one end and which interconnects the bottom edge of each side wall with the corresponding side edge of the bottom wall together with a specially constructed locking notch and an associated closure flap formed in the riser panels at the end of the carrier opposite from the bifurcated portion of the fold line between the side walls and the bottom wall.

States ate Sept. 11, 1973 [73] Assignee: The Mead Corporation, Dayton,

Ohio

{22] Filed: May 22,1972

21 Appl. No.: 255,391

[52] US. Cl. 220/113, 220/115, 229/41 R, 229/41 B [51] Int. Cl B65d75/00 [58] Field of Search ..220/113,110,1ll, 220/l12,114,115;229/41R,41 B, 28 BC, 52 BC [56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS3,572,542 3/1971 Wood et al.' 220/113 X 3,148,769 9/1964 Bryant 220/41 RX 2,572,610 10/1951 Gilbert 229/41 B X 2,368,203 1/1945 Crane 229/52 BC2,345,565 4/1944 Arneson 220/114 Primary ExaminerGeorge E. LowranceAssistant ExaminerStephen P. Garbe Attorney-Walter M. Rodgers [57]ABSTRACT A basket-style article arrier having a bottom wall, side wallsfoldably joined along their bottom edges to opposite side edges of thebottom wall, end walls foldably joined to the end edges of the'sidewalls, riser panels foldably joined to the end walls medially thereof, ahandle panel secured at its ends to the upper portions of the riserpanels, and partition structure interconnected between the handle andthe side walls is provided with stabilizing structure for insuring thatthe carrier is squarely set up to facilitate loading, such structureincluding a fold line which is bifurcated at one end and whichinterconnects the bottom edge of each side wall with-the correspondingside edge of thebottom wall together with a specially constructedlocking notch and an associated closure flap formed in the riser panelsat the end of the carrier opposite from the bifurcated portion of thefold line between the side walls and the bottom 'wall.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Sephll, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented Sept. 11, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ARTICLE CARRIER Conventionalbasket-style article carriers usually are provided at one end withstructure for interlocking one end edge of the bottom wall with thelower portion of the riser panels. Ordinarily no provision is made forinterlocking the opposite end edge of the bottom wall with the adjacentriser panels so that such end of the bottom wall tends to bowdownwardly. For this reason a set-up article carrier is basicallyunstable and conventional drop-loading operations frequently fail toload the carrier.

Basket-style article carriers constructed according to one fonn of thisinvention are rendered stable and in-' clude a fold line between thebottom edge of each side wall and the adjacent side edge of the bottomwall which is bifurcated at one end to define a generally triangular webpanel to facilitate folding the bottom wall into a normal positionrelative to the side walls whereby the downward bowing of the bottomwall at the end thereof adjacent the aforementioned web panel isprevented while the opposite end of the bottom wall is bowed upwardlysomewhat by means of an interlock including a locking notch in theadjacent riser panels which engages the end edge of the bottom wall. Inorder to provide adequate protection for the bottom portions of articlesadjacent the locking notch, a closure flap is associated with the riserpanels and follow ing loading of the carrier this flap closes thelocking notch formed in the riser panels thus affording protection forand separation between the adjacent articles on opposite sides of thehandle of the carrier.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which FIG. I is a perspective view of anarticle carrier formed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the carrier of FIG. 1 isformed;

'FIG. 3 depicts an intermediate stage of folding of the blank of FIG. 2and in which FIG. 4 represents the final complete collapsed carrierwhich may be set up to form the structure as shown in FIG. 1.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a side wall to the end edges ofwhich end wall panels 2 and 3 are foldably joined along fold lines 4 and5 respectively. A glue flap 6 is foldably joined to the bottom edge ofside wall 1 along a fold line 7 which as shown in FIG. 1 is a singlefold line at the lefthand end thereof but which is bifurcated asindicated at 8 and 9 to define a web panel 10 in accordance with onefacet of the invention. A riser panel 11 is foldably joined to end wallpanel 2 along fold line 12 and is provided with a locking notch 13. Asimilar riser panel 14 is foldably joined to end wall panel 3 along foldline 15 and is provided with a locking notch l6.

The handle structure for the carrier comprises an outer handle panel 17foldably joined to riser panel 14 along fold line 15 together with anouter handle panel I8 foldably joined to outer handle panel 17 alongmedial fold line 19. Hand gripping aperture 20 is formed in handle panel17 and a similar hand gripping aperture 21 is formed in handle panel 18and when the carrier is set up is disposed in coincidental relationshipwith the aperture 20 as is well known. Reinforcing panel 22 is foldablyjoined to handle panel 17 along fold line 23 and to reinforcing panel 24along medial fold line 25.

2 Reinforcing panel 24 is foldably joined to outer handle panel 18 alongfold line 26. Apertures 27 and 28 are formed respectively in reinforcingpanels 22 and 24 and coincide with hand gripping apertures 20 and 21respectively as is well known when the carrier is set up.

Partition structure between the handle structure and side wall 1comprises a partition strap 29 which is foldably joined to side wall 1along fold line 30 and to handle panel 17 along fold line 31 togetherwith partition strap 32 which is foldably joined to handle panel 1 alongfold line 33 and to handle panel 17 along fold line 34.

On the other side of the handle similar structure to that describedabove is provided and includes riser panel 35 which is foldably joinedat its upper edge to riser panel 11 along a fold line 36 and which isjoined along fold line 37 to end wall panel 38. Side wall 39 is foldablyjoined to end wall panel 38 along fold line 40 and to end wall panel 41along fold line 42. Riser panel 43 is foldably joined to end wall panel41 along fold line 44 and to outer handle panel 18 along the same foldline. A locking notch 45 is formed in riser panel 35 and is normallyclosed by a closure flap 46 foldably joined to riser panel 35 along foldline 47. A locking notch 48 is formed in riser panel 43. When thecarrier is set up locking notch 13 coincides with locking notch 45 andlocking notch 16 coincides with locking notch 48 as is well known.

The bottom wall of the carrier is designated by the numeral 49 and isprovided with a medial fold line 50 at the ends of which locking notches51 and 52 are formed.

According to one form of the invention, the bottom edge of side wall 39is interconnected with a. side edge of bottom wall 49 by a fold line 53which at its left hand end as viewed in FIG. 2 comprises a single foldline and which is bifurcated at its right hand end as indicated by foldlines 54 and 55 which define therebetween a generally triangular webpanel designated by the numeral 56. Y

Parition structure between the handle and side wall 39 comprises apartition strap 57 foldably joined to side wall 39 along fold line 58and to handle panel 18 along fold line 59 together with partition strap60 foldably joined to side wall 39 along fold line 61 and to handlepanel 18 along fold line 62.

The folding operations through which the blank of FIG. 2 is manipulatedinto the completed collapsed condition depicted in FIG. 4 are shown anddescribed in detail in US. Pat. No. 3,349,957. For purposes of clarityand simplicity the various folding and gluing operations are describedspecifically in conjunction with FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, it being understoodthat FIG. 3 simply represents an intermediate condition and in apractical sense may depict more than one folding operation through whichthe blank of FIG. 2 is manipulated.

In order to form the carrier, an application of glue is made initiallyto the interior or upper surfaces of handle panels 17 and 18 asindicated by stippling in FIG. 2 following which glue application, thereinforcing panels 22 and 24 are elevated and folded toward the rightalong fold lines 23 and 26 to occupy positions of flat face contactingrelation with the outer handle panels 17 and 18, in which positions theaperture 27 coincides with aperture 20 and aperture28 coincides withaperture 21. Following this folding operation, glue is applied to riserpanels 11 and 35 as indicated by stippling and end wall panels 2 and 38are elevated and folded toward the right along fold lines 4 and 40respectively to cause the stippled portions of riser panels 11 and 35 toadhere to the left hand inner end portions of outer handle panels 17 and18 and to the left hand portions of reinforcing panels 22 and 24.Subsequently glue is applied to riser panels 14 and 43 as indicated bystippling and riser panels 14 and 43 are elevated and folded toward theleft along fold lines 15 and 44 respectively to cause the stippledportions of these riser panels to adhere to the inner surfaces of theright hand portions of outer panels 17 and 18. Following the folding andgluing operations as described, the blank appears as shown in FIG. 3.

With the blank in the condition depicted in FIG. 3, an application ofglue is made to the riser panels 11, 35, 14, 43 and to the reinforcingpanels 22 and 24 and to the exposed inner surface portions of outerhandle panels 17 and 18 as well as to glue flap 6 and, if desired, to anedge of bottom wall panel 49 as indicated by stippling in FIG. 3.Following this application .of glue, side wall 1 and all portions of theblank above the fold lines 36, 25 and 19 are elevated and foldedforwardly to occupy the positions depicted in FIG. 4. This operation ofcourse causes riser panel 11 to adhere in face contacting relation toriser panel 35 and also causes riser panel 14 to adhere in facecontacting relation to riser panel 43. Reinforcing panel 22 is securedto reinforcing panel 24 while the exposed portions of outer handle panel17 become adhered to exposed portions of outer handle panel 18.Simultaneously glue flap 6 becomes adhered to an edge of bottom wall 49,and the carrier is complete and in collapsed condition as shown in FIG.4.

In order to set the carrier up, the side walls 1 and 39 are securedagainst movement toward the left as viewed in FIG. 4 and a force isapplied to the right hand or medial inner edges of end wall panels 3 and41. This operation forces the side walls 1 and 39 apart and causes theend wall panels 3 and 41 to occupy a single plane as shown 'in FIG. 1.Similarly end wall panels 2 and 38 are forced into a common plane at theother end of the carrier while the bottom wall 49 is caused to assume agenerally planar condition.-

The mid portion of the bottom wall 49 adjacent the notch 52 is not boweddownwardly because according to the invention the fold lines 9 and 8accommodate folding of the bottom wall 49 into a planar conditionwithout unduly stressing the material along fold lines 8 and 9. Statedotherwise setting up the carrier causes the web panel 10 to foldapproximately 45 out of the plane of side wall 1 along fold line 9. Webpanel 10 also occupies a position approximately 45' out of the plane ofbottom wall 49 and such angular folding operations along fold lines 8and 9 can be effected even though high quality relatively strong paperboard is used in constructing the carrier and without rupturing the individual fibers along fold lines 8 and 9 because unlike the left handportion of fold line 53 which must fold through an angle greater than90, the right hand end of bottom wall 49 can assume a planar conditionso that the comer of the carrier immediately below and coinciding withfold line rests squarely on a supporting surface asis indicated inFIG. 1. Simultaneously web panel 56 functions as does web panel and thecorner underneath fold line 42 rests squarely on the support surface.

Viewed in another light and as is apparent in FIG. 1, fold line 8 is anapproximate straight line continuation in the horizontal plane of thesingle fold line 7 due to the fact that web panel 10 is folded inwardlyand out of the plane of side wall 1. In like fashion fold line 54 isvirtually a straight continuation in the horizontal plane of fold line53. Thus as is obvious from FIG. 1 the corners of the carrier generallyunderneath the fold lines 5 and 42 rest squarely on a supportingsurface.

It is apparent from FIG. 2 that locking notch 45 and locking notch 13are elevated above the bottom edges 53 and 7 respectively by a distancesomewhat greater than that which separates the locking notches 48 and 16from edges 53 and 7 respectively. This slightly elevated relationship oflocking notches l3 and 45 results in an upward bowing of the left handedge of bottom wall 49 to an extent greater than normal. This upwardbowing operation of course prevents any contact of the left hand portionof bottom wall 49 as viewed in FIG. 2 with a supporting surface so thatthe comers of the carrier immediately below fold lines 4 and 40 restsquarely on the supporting surface.

Setting up of the carrier results in the engagement of locking notch 51with the composite locking notch 13, 45 in a conventional fashion andsimultaneously brushes closure flap 46 to one side-according to afeature of the invention so that when the carrier is set up and into thecondition depicted in FIG. 1 and before loading of the carrier, theclosure flap 46 is disposed at an angle to the riser panel 35 andclosure flap 46 is held in this position by the adjacent contactingportion of bottom wall 49. When the carrier is loaded as by adrop-loading operation from above, the loaded articles force the bottomwall 49 downwardly somewhat and cause the locking notch 51 to disengagecomposite locking notch 13, 45. When this occurs closure flap 46 isbrushed downwardly into substantial coincidence with the plane of riserpanel 35. When disposed in the same plane as riser panel 35 closure flap46 serves to separate the article disposed between end wall panel 2 andpartition strap 29 from the article on the other side of the handlewhichis disposed between end wall panel 38 and partition strap 57.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An article carrier comprising a handle, a pair of riser panelsarranged in flat face contacting relation to each other and secured toeach end of said handle, an end wall panel foldably joined along theinner edge thereof to the outer edge of each of said riser panels, apair of side walls each foldably joined along each of the end edgesthereof to the outer edge of one of said end wall panels, and a bottomwall foldably joined along its side edges to the bottom edges of saidside walls respectively along fold lines each of which comprises asingle fold line extending from one end of the carrier toward the otherend thereof and which is bifurcated to define a web panel foldablyjoined to each side wall and to said bottom wall at the other end of thecarrier.

2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein said bottom wall isinterlocked with said riser panels at said one end of the carrier.

3. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein a closure flap is foldablyjoined to at least one of said riser panels at said one end of thecarrier and wherein said closure flap is folded out of the plane of saidone riser panel to expose a locking notch engageable by said bottom wallwhen the carrier is set up.

4. A carrier according to claim 3 wherein said closure flapautomatically covers said locking notch when the carrier is loadedthereby to aid in separating articles at said one end of the carrier anddisposed on opposite sides of said handle from each other.

5. In an article carrier having a handle, a pair of riser panelsarranged in flat face contacting relation to each other and secured toeach end of said handle, an end wall panel foldably joined along theinner edge thereof to the outer edge of each of said riser panels, apair of side walls each foldably joined along each of the end edgesthereof to the outer edge of one of said end wall panels, and a bottomwall foldably joined along its side edges to the bottom edges of saidside walls respectively, the improvement comprising a closure flapfoldably joined to at least one of said riser panels at one end of thecarrier and foldable out of the plane of said one riser panel to exposea locking notch engageable by said bottom wall when the carrier is setup and effective to close said notch when the carrier is loaded.

l i t

1. An article carrier comprising a handle, a pair of riser panels arranged in flat face contacting relation to each other and secured to each end of said handle, an end wall panel foldably joined along the inner edge thereof to the outer edge of each of said riser panels, a pair of side walls each foldably joined along each of the end edges thereof to the outer edge of one of said end wall panels, and a bottom wall foldably joined along its side edges to the bottom edges of said side walls respectively along fold lines each of which comprises a single fold line extending from one end of the carrier toward the other end thereof and which is bifurcated to define a web panel foldably joined to each side wall and to said bottom wall at the other end of the carrier.
 2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein said bottom wall is interlocked with said riser panels at said one end of the carrier.
 3. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein a closure flap is foldably joined to at least one of said riser panels at said one end of the carrier and wherein said closure flap is folded out of the plane of said one riser panel to expose a locking notch engageable by said bottom wall when the carrier is set up.
 4. A carrier according to claim 3 wherein said closure flap automatically covers said locking notch when the carrier is loaded thereby to aid in separating articles at said one end of the carrier and disposed on opposite sides of said handle from each other.
 5. In an article carrier having a handle, a pair of riser panels arranged in flat face contacting relation to each other and secured to each end of said handle, an end wall Panel foldably joined along the inner edge thereof to the outer edge of each of said riser panels, a pair of side walls each foldably joined along each of the end edges thereof to the outer edge of one of said end wall panels, and a bottom wall foldably joined along its side edges to the bottom edges of said side walls respectively, the improvement comprising a closure flap foldably joined to at least one of said riser panels at one end of the carrier and foldable out of the plane of said one riser panel to expose a locking notch engageable by said bottom wall when the carrier is set up and effective to close said notch when the carrier is loaded. 